Lock for telephone instruments



July 27, 1954 M. REILLY 2,685,002

LOCK FOR TELEPHONE INSTRUMENTS Filed June 6, 1952 i E IN V EN TOR. IM1255 fizzy Y Arranwy Patented July 27, 1 954 UNITED ATENT OFFICE 2Claims.

This invention relates to lock for telephone instrument, andparticularly for the type of instruments known as dial telephones whichemploy rotary reciprocating dial-wheels movable over a dial plate andhaving finger-operating holes, by the use of which the user of thetelephone directly calls the desired telephone num-- ber and exchange.

It is one of the objects of this invention to prevent the connection ofa dial telephone instrument with the telephone line by an unauthorizedperson, and to this end to provide locking means for locking andreleasing of the controlling or connecting element for transmitting thesignals from the dial to the telephone line and thus when the element islocked to prevent the use of the telephone by unauthorized parties orindividuals.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a simple andefiicient locking mechanism adapted to be mounted in the casing or standand to cooperate with a movable pawl which comprises the element fortransmitting signals from a notched disc connected with the dial to theline.

Still another object of my invention is to provide within the casing orstand a housing provided with a slidable plunger bolt adapted to benormally retained in released position by a spring and to be movableinto locking position against the action of said spring and to combinesuch bolt with a key-operated lock provided with locking means forengaging and disengaging with a suitable locking notch in the saidhousing and having a pusher member adapted upon insertion into saidhousing to engage and move said bolt into its locking position,whereupon it engages and moves out of operating position the pawlelement which, as aforesaid, comprises the element for transmittingsignals from the movable dial wheel to the line. Upon release of thelock and removal thereof from the housing, said pusher member willdisengage said bolt which in turn automatically disengages said pawlwhich is then automatically moved against the action of thepawl-operating spring again into engagement with notches in a discmovable by the finger-operated dial-wheel.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a housing forenclosing a key-operated lock of the type hereinabove specified in suchmanner as to prevent removal of and breaking ofi the lock, to utilize anenclosed housing having a locking bolt adapted to engage thesignaltransmitting or connecting pawl at the side sur- 2 face thereofopposite to the operating contact surface thereof.

Still another object of my invention is to move such pawl about its axisand hold the same at a sufficient distance only to prevent actuationthereof by the aforesaid notched disc which is connected and conjointlymovable, as aforesaid, with the finger-operated dial-wheel.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises thecombination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to coactand cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions andthe accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises inone of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a dialtelephone instrumentincluding a stand and dial mechanism, and showing my lock deviceslightly projecting from my bolt housing in the telephone stand ormounting;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the dial mechanism removed from the stand andshowing the means including a dial-connected notched disc and pawl fortransmitting signals from the dial to the telephone line, and alsoshowing my bolt housing with the bolt in automatically withdrawnposition after removal from said housing of my key-operated lock;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing my bolt in a positionengaging the transmitting pawl and moving it out of connection with thedial-connected disc and my key-operated lock inserted in said housingwith its pusher moving said bolt into locking position;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the transmitting pawl removed fromits operative position;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the pawl shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section through my bolt housing after removal ofthe key operated lock and pusher member and showing the spring-releasedbolt in disengaged or released position.

In accordance with my invention I have shown a mechanism including abolt-housing and bolt combined with a key operated lock and pusher bywhich a dial telephone instrument may be locked or unlocked and held insuch locked or unlocked condition for an indefinite period of time, Fig.2 showing my housing in unlocked condition with the bolt withdrawn,while in Fig. 3 I have shown the dial instrument in locked position witha key-operated lock having a pusher member inserted in my bolt housing,and in this View the dial mechanism is arranged in locked position withthe transmitting pawl element held out of connection with a notched discwhich moves conjointly with the finger-operated dial wheel, my said boltthus locking the parts and preventing an unauthorized person fromprocuring a connection by a movement of the dial.

Referring now specifically to these drawings, which illustrate apreferred embodiment of my invention, 1 indicates a stand or casing formounting dial mechanisms of a dial operated set, it being understoodthat suitable means is provided at the rear of the casing l for theaccommodation of wires, not shown, but which commonly lead into thecasing or stand and to suitable receiving and transmitting means. InFigs. 1, 2 and 3 I have shown a ring-shaped housing 2 conventionallyused for mounting the dialplate finger-operated dial wheel andconnecting parts of the dialing mechanism. As shown, this ring-housingis suitably mounted on the stand or casing i and is connected thereto byscrews and lugs 3. Bottom views of this housing are shown in Figs. 2 and3, and, as illustrated, the

finger-operated dial wheel 4 is rotatably mounted in suitable manner andhas suitably connected to and movable conjointly therewith, as forexample, by a common axial shaft 5, a disc 5 provided with a series ofnotches '5 arranged in alignment with the finger holes I of the dialwheel 4. This wheel 4 is preferably formed of metal and is operated tomove into contact with a suitable stop to its normal starting positionby a spiral spring S wound around the shaft 5 and anchored at S thereto.Said spring has its opposite end anchored at S in astationarily-positioned pin S The finger operated wheel 4 and notcheddisc 5 are mounted to move against the tension of the spring S which is,therefore, adapted to return both the notched disc 5 and the dial wheel4 to normal starting position when the same are moved against the actionof said spring by the finger of a user, said notched disc 5 beingoperated conjointly with the finger-operated dial wheel and its notches6 conforming, as aforesaid, with the finger holes 1, the notches in saiddisc are adapted to engage a pin in the nose of a pawl 8 which ismounted to oscillate on a pivot 9. As illustrated, the pawl 8 is movedagainst the action of a spring connecting member I l and has a pin ii!extending downwardly from its nose portion to engage each notch and tooscillate out of the same as the disc is turned conjointly, asaforesaid, with the finger wheel 4. The pawl 8 upon engagement with thenotches will thus be independently moved by each notch and will in turn,upon oscillation by the notches, move the spring connecting element 1 linto and out of connection or engagement with a pivot mounting member aon which the pawl is mounted and also intermittently open and permittedto close a spring switch connection member H1 of a switch comprisingline-connected switch members ID and It". The pivot 9 is connected witha base member 9 which, in connection with the member H, also is adaptedto transmit signals to the telephone line. The pawl, as shown, is formedof insulating material and is provided with a cut-out cam section 8*.This cut-out section exposes the pivot 55 and permits the spring memherI l which has crimped portion that normally fits within the depression 8to intermittently engage and be moved out of connection with the pivot 9upon movement of the pawl by the varione notches in the wheel 5 whichalso, as aforesaid, opens and permits closing of the switch ele mentsill and le A signal or signals to the telephone line will thus be givenupon the movement of the pawl 8 by the notched disc 5, which, asaforesaid, is connected to and conjointly movable with thefinger-operated dial wheel 4 above the numbered and/or lettered dialplate per se.

The above signal-transmitting mechanism is conventional in the operationof finger-operated telephone dial mechanism and by the use of myinvention, it will be seen that I provide a bolt member adapted toengage and move out of contact with the disc, notches the pawl 8 so asto prevent any signalling to the line by the fingeroperated dial-wheelwhich is, as aforesaid, connected with the notched disc.

To so disconnect the finger-operated dialwheel and itsconjointly-movable notched disc from the telephone line connectingmembers, I preferably provide in the stand I an enclosing housing 53extending within said stand below said dial housing member 2. Saidhousing [3 has mounted therein a spring-pressed bolt member 36 adaptedin locked position, as hereinafter specified, to engage tangentially oneside of the pawl and to move the same to a position in which itsnotch-engaging pin it will be held out of engagement with the notches 6of the disc 5, thus disconnecting the said pawl from the said notchesand preventing the transmission of signals through the members 9, e If),it, lfl II and 2 to the telephone line.

In the embodiment shown, the bolt i4 is in the form of a plunger mountedwithin a cylindrical bolt housing and is provided with a head portion wemovable within said bolt housing and has its engaging finger passingthrough an opening in the casing. The plunger is then guided in saidcasing, and, to cause the same to be normally held in withdrawn orreleased position. an expansion spring 55 is positioned between theinside bottom 53 of the casing l3 and the head hi of the bolt or plungerM.

A suitable key-operated lock having a pusher means may be utilized toengage the head I6 and to press the same into engaging position. In thepreferred form of my invention, the casing of a key-operated look I? isinsertable in the bolt housing and provided with a suitable keyactuatedelement li for engaging and locking the lock casing to a notch in mybolt housing and with a pusher member ii extending inwardly therefrom.

In Fig. 6 I have shown my spring-pressed bolt member terminating at oneend with the head 54*. By inserting my lock and pusher into thecolt-housing the bolt per se may be moved into engagement with the pawl.Upon release of the key-operated element from its notch and removal ofthe lock casing and pusher member, the bolt It will be automaticallywithdrawn or pressed outwardly by its spring and release the pawl forengagement with the notched disc and thus permit transmission of signalsto the telephone line.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a dial telephone instrument, in combination, a mounting casing,21. fixed dial plate mounted in said casing, a finger-operated dialwheel having finger inserticn openings mounted in said casing andmovable in the arc of a circle about said dial plate, a notched discmovable conjointly with and in a plane below said finger-actuated dialwheel, said notched disc having its notches arranged in alignment withthe finger insertion openings in the finger-operated dial wheel,signal-transmitting mechanism mounted in said casing and embodyingsuitable contacts, an oscillating pawl movable by successive engagementwith the notches in said disc into and out of engagement with one ofsaid contacts to produce signals, and a bolt normally retained in aninoperative retracted position in a housing connected with said casingbut movable to engage said oscillating pawl and to move the same out ofthe path of movement produced by the notches and thus to preventsuccessive operative movements of said contact by said pawl.

2. A dial telephone instrument as claimed in claim 1 in which the boltis normally held by a spring in retracted position out of engagementwith said oscillating pawl, and a key-operated lock casing is releasablyconnected with said mounting casing and is provided with a projectingelement engageable in connected position of the lock housing with thebolt to move said bolt into engagement with said pawl, and indisconnected position of the lock housing is disengaged from said boltto permit release thereof from said pawl.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,762,746 Shann June 10, 1930 2,372,262 Edwards et al. Mar.27, 1945

